Frisking the Fixtures – Gameweek 26 – The Weak

After assessing the teams who appear best placed to thrive through this turbulent upcoming period of fixtures, we now turn our attention to those who present a more rocky outlook over the next four to six Gameweeks.

Arsenal look to have the most unfavourable schedule, suffering a pair of blanks and some testing fixtures, while both Manchester City and Southampton assets demand hands-on management over the month ahead.

Arsenal

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With two blank Gameweeks, and difficult match-ups with Liverpool and Manchester City, in particular, the outlook for Arsenal assets remains gloomy in the short-term, and, bar the obvious appeal of the double Gameweeks (DGW), the Gunners’ run-in also appears testing.

Both City and Liverpool are among the teams that have allowed the fewest number of shots from inside the box over the last four Gameweeks, so Arsenal may struggle to harvest attacking points in those ties.

West Bromwich Albion have also kept clean sheets in their last two clashes at The Hawthorns, leaving the West Ham United showdown as the only reasonably appealing fixture for Arsenal over the next six Gameweeks.

Alexis Sanchez is easily the most viable attacking option among Arsene Wenger’s charges and yet it’s no surprise that over 87,000 Fantasy Premier League (FPL) managers have opted to ditch the Chilean ahead of Gameweek 26.

Equally, there looks little need to claim or hold an Arsenal defender through this period.

Aside from the blanks, there is no favourable match-up from a defensive point of view, with City and West Ham having scored 10 and eight goals respectively over the last four Gameweeks, while Liverpool and West Brom also have to be fancied on home soil.

Southampton

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Claude Puel’s men also endure two blanks over the next three, while, outside of the double Gameweeks, it’s only a spell of three home matches in four from Gameweek 30 that offers any real appeal.

From a defensive standpoint, matches against Watford, Bournemouth and Crystal Palace may well yield a shut-outs for those that decide to stick with a Southampton defender through this period.

No available Saints defender currently boasts an ownership of more than 1.8%, though, and that seems unlikely to change in the short-term.

It’s a similar story when assessing the attacking prospects, with those same three fixtures offering the potential for profit.

Despite the blanks, Manolo Gabbiadini’s three goals in two matches has urged more than 108,000 FPL managers to snap up the Italian striker.

He could prosper from Gameweek 30, but non-owners will certainly be content to reserve judgement until that point.

Also be wary of…

Manchester City
City’s outlook swung dramatically with yesterday’s announcement of a potential double Gameweek 27.

Pep Guardiola’s men still have to navigate past Huddersfield in their FA Cup replay next Wednesday before that can be confirmed.

Even so, with a trip to Sunderland and a visit to Stoke City on the cards for Gameweek 27, there is no doubt that we’re viewing City’s assets far differently following Wednesday’s revelation.

Having said that, City remain out of bounds for Gameweek 26 and will also suffer a blank in Gameweek 28.

In addition, following the two blanks, Guardiola’s men suffer an evil run of three matches (LIV ars che) that will test their ability to contend the title race with leaders Chelsea.

While Fantasy managers will clearly target short-term investment in City ahead of Gameweek 27, that schedule looks certain to ensure that exit plans are considered soon after.

Outside of John Stones, who still boasts an FPL ownership of 14.9%, City defenders have barely featured on our radars. That is likely to remain the case, despite the possible double Gameweek.

It’s the City attack that clearly warrants interest, with Sergio Aguero inevitably now earmarked as a potential Gameweek 27 captain.

Wingers Leroy Sane and Raheem Sterling also deserve our attention but, following Gameweek 27, they seem likely to give way as we switch attention to alternative double Gameweek assets and consider a midfield recall for Sanchez.

Stoke City
Like City, our views of the Potters changed with news that a possible double Gameweek 27 was looming.

And, like City, around that scenario, Stoke remain a no-go zone.

Even considering the likely improved returns in Gameweek 27, Mark Hughes men fail to sustain that appeal, with Spurs and Chelsea among their opponents in the next three, along with the Etihad trip.

Those holding Stoke assets – particularly Peter Crouch and Joe Allen – will clearly preserve them ahead of the potential double-header with Middlesbrough (home) and City (away) but need to be aware that a blank in Gameweek 28 now looms as a possibility.

Following that, Hughes’ men will be tested by a visit from Chelsea, with trips to relegation-threatened Leicester City and Burnley after that.

While, on paper, those latter fixtures look winnable, Stoke’s away form is far from encouraging. Two clean sheets and 14 goals from 12 road trips would suggest that we should temper our expectations and prepare an exit plan should the Gameweek 27 double materialise.

Crystal Palace
In the short-term, Palace’s schedule appears reasonable, with home clashes against Middlesbrough and Watford over the next four Gameweeks.

Sam Allardyce’s men also face a blank in Gameweek 28, though, along with a trip to leaders Chelsea in Gameweek 30. Meanwhile, the run-in combines favourable home fixtures with difficult away trips, pairing them with title contenders and relegation battlers – a punishing combination.

Those clinging to Palace assets should consider holding in the short-term, with the awareness that the mid and long-term prospects appear bleak unless there is a marked improvement in form and fortune.

Sunderland
The outlook for the Black Cats looks very grim in the short-term, with matches against Everton and Manchester City, followed by a blank in Gameweek 28.

The home fixture against Burnley in Gameweek 29 looks mission critical for David Moyes’ side, then, with equally vital away trips to Watford and Leicester City to follow.

Jermain Defoe will need to prove fixture proof over next three Gameweeks, then, with his 28.9% ownership perhaps likely to diminish should he falter.

As for the Sunderland defence, they will surely remain ignored, with the likes of Lamine Kone filed as a future option when news of the double Gameweek breaks.

Bournemouth
Despite having guaranteed fixtures in Gameweeks 26 and 28, we should be wary of overinvestment in Cherries assets. Their fixture list turns dramatically from Gameweek 30 onwards, handing them a tortuous path through the Easter period (sot, liv, CHE, tot).

Eddie Howe’s charges present reasonable short-term prospects with Josh King the main target thanks to his new role as the Cherries’ lone striker.

King dropped back into a No 10 role against City last time out, though, and with Benik Afobe an option to Howe, there are no guarantees of a sustained spell in that position for the 5.3 midfielder.

Those who have stubbornly retained Junior Stanislas will be hoping for a recall at The Hawthorns on Saturday, while their terrible defensive record of late leaves members of their backline classified as “undesirable”.